New York Giants Waive Running Back Michael Cox: The New York Giants have waived running back Michael Cox.

Cox was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Giants. In 2013, he played in 14 games as a rookie with one start, carrying the football 22 times for 43 yards (2.0 yards per carry) and catching three passes for 12 yards. Most of his work came on special teams where he returned 20 kickoffs for a 21.8 yards-per-return average.

In 2014, Cox was on the Practice Squad of the team until October, played in four games, and was then placed on Injured Reserve in November 2014 with a fractured lower leg. He finished 2013 with four carries, two catches, and 11 kickoff returns.

The Giants now are currently carrying five halfbacks on the roster, including Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa, and Chris Ogbonnaya.

For every Big Blue Breakdown we’ve run, I’ve enjoyed taking a part in each. Having my thoughts, opinions and analysis placed next to the best of the best in the business was an honor. With that being said, I’m sitting this one out. With this being my first season covering the team, I think it’s appropriate to hand it over to the veterans.

For the last decade, Chris Snee worked to establish himself as one of the greatest New York Giants’ linemen to ever wear the ‘NY’ logo across his helmet. He exemplified what it meant to be a New York Giant. Today, our panel breaks down their favorite Chris Snee memory from their years covering the team.

QUESTION:With Chris Snee hanging up the cleats, it closes the door on one of the better careers in Giants’ history. What’s your favorite Chris Snee moment from covering the team? What will you remember him by?

I’ve been trying to think of a specific memory I have of him — something fun or funny — but I can’t. And that’s not really an indictment of him, it sort of more of a tribute, when you think about it. He’s been described by his coach and so many others as a “lunchpail guy” who, for 10 years, just came to work, did his job and didn’t cause any trouble. In a lot of ways he was almost unnoticeable, which is the dream of offensive linemen. For a decade, you didn’t worry about the right guard spot in the Giants’ lineup. You didn’t question that Snee was going to be in there and play well. He wasn’t a guy we had to rush to after the game to get a quote, because he wasn’t going to put on some me-first show for the media. He wasn’t the center of attention. He was just a good member of the team.

Don’t misinterpret that either. He was as cooperative a player as I’ve dealt with in this era. If a reporter needed a few minutes of his time, he gave it. His answers were thoughtful, insightful, if not headline-worthy. He didn’t duck any question either — not his relationship with his father-in-law coach (which especially early couldn’t have been his favorite topic), not the terrible play of the offensive line in some years. A lot of fans might not realize that when the Giants are having a bad year or suffer a bad loss, there aren’t a lot of players willing to stand up and take the heat. Reporters often end up confronting a mostly empty locker room. But I almost always could count on Snee being out there after a bad game. As a matter of fact, if he ever did duck the media I’d bet it was after a win — when he didn’t want the appearance of taking any credit.

Anyway, his desire to be behind the scenes is probably why I can’t come up with a good story for you. But I do have good memories of him and he will be missed. Aside from being a good, fun, pleasant and cooperative guy to talk to, I will most remember him the way I bet he wants to be remembered: As part of a group of five guys who were the best offensive line I’ve covered in my now 20 years covering the NFL. That group — David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Snee and Kareem McKenzie — kind of snuck up on us. They didn’t get a lot of praise at first and there always seemed to be a lot of questions about whether the Giants needed an upgrade. They were together from 2006-10 and, despite a championship in 2007, I think it took most people until they were gone to realize how great they were. And look, I grew up in the ’80s so I know how good “The Suburbanites” were. We could debate all day which group was better. But you have to put this group in the conversation, I’d think. And Snee has to be in the conversation when talking about the best Giants offensive linemen of all time.

For me it’s an easy one. 2011 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, in the bowels of Candlestick Park about 30 minutes after Lawrence Tynes booted the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI. The visiting locker room at the Stick is, well, cramped, and you could only imagine the emotions following from a game like that. The crowd was around Eli Manning from the moment the media got in the room, and the Giants were in a rush to get on the plane and continue the party. And here was Chris Snee, suit on, his interviews over, luggage at his feet, just waiting for Manning to stop doing interviews.

“Elisha, let’s go already!” Snee said with a smile. This was before he donned that “I love Eli” t-shirt, of course, and only after that did I hear of how Snee and Manning were roommates as rookies, and that they always – ALWAYS – sat together on the bus and on planes to games.

In the biggest moment of the season, Snee could have gone out to the bus on his own. Instead, he waited for his quarterback.

I got the idea last summer to interview Snee and Manning together, and when Snee convinced Manning to do it, we sat in a lounge, the two of them on the couch jokingly sitting on top of one another like Eli and Peyton joke around as brothers in that SportsCenter commercial.

I was not on the beat when they came in, but I’m glad to have been on the beat these last few years. That day in San Francisco, I got to see the bond between two of the very best to play for the Giants in franchise history.

My favorite Chris Snee moment came several years ago—I can’t remember what year it was, but I want to say it was about three years into his career.

First let me give you some background: Snee came in and initially seemed like the last thing he wanted to do was talk to anyone, reporters included. It didn’t help that his offensive line mates at the time added fuel to the fire by calling him a “grumpy old man.”

Anyway, one day I had to do a sit-down interview with Snee for a story on his charity work, which he never really spoke about (I always got the impression that Snee didn’t care to talk about himself). This was back in the old stadium so for “sit downs” we had to do them in the hallway, just outside the locker room.

So I’m standing out there waiting and Snee comes out, finishing an ice cream cone. He’s walking as though someone just told him to walk the plank of a pirate ship, and he has a scowl on his face. I’m sitting there thinking I’m in for a bumpy ride, but once he reached me, he cracked a smile, shook my hand, and gave me a wonderful interview.

When we finished, I thanked him for his time. He thanked me, said he enjoyed the chat and that I “shouldn’t be a stranger” moving forward. From that day forward, regardless of what mood he might have been in, Snee and I would chat whenever the opportunity presented itself, even if it was a quick “Hello.”

Post script to this story. When he was voted a team captain last year—an honor that was long overdue in my opinion–I congratulated him by saying, “Congrats, Captain Chris.”

His eyes lit up and he broke out into as big of a smile as I have ever seen from him. He told me he liked the moniker. He liked it so much, in fact, that he told a couple of his teammates whose lockers were nearby that from that point forward, he wanted to be called “Captain Chris.” (I won’t repeat what the teammates said since this is a PG-13 site.)

I don’t think the nickname ever caught on with others, but out of respect, I kept calling him that, right up to the day he retired. And each time he would smile and it was just so clear to see it made him feel good.

When he retired last week, he had to walk past a few of us to get to the podium. He was shaking the hands of reporters who were lined up on that side—I was one of them. When he got to me, I said “Thanks for being such a professional, Captain Chris.”

Boom! There was that smile again and this time, he gave me a big hug before taking the podium for what was one of the most emotional farewell pressers I have ever covered.

I’ve been on this beat since the late 1990s and one of the things I really enjoy from a human aspect is to see these guys come in as kids and leave as grown men. Those moments where you get to know the person behind the facemask are what make this job so special.

I’m very honored to have covered Chris Snee’s career and to see him go from being a quiet brawny kid out of college into a professional, a leader and above all one of the nicest men to ever don the Giants uniform.

July 22, 2014 New York Giants Injury Report: LB Jon Beason (foot – PUP) did not practice. “We were obviously disappointed about Jon (Beason) when he got hurt, but we are really excited about the fact that he seems to be doing really well,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “I watched his treatment the other day, and boy, if he has a tender foot, he’s hiding it well. I think he is making really good progress.”

LB Jameel McClain was carted off of the field with a foot issue. “He thought it was a shoe issue, an irritation in his foot, but it was over one of the metatarsals, so (the medical staff) brought him in to look at that,” said Coughlin. “I’m hoping that this is just a matter of a sore foot with Jameel, so we’ll see.”

According to subsequent press reports, x-rays on McClain’s foot were negative. The New York Daily News is reporting that the Giants “are proceeding cautiously, however, and if his foot is sore on Wednesday they will likely send him for an MRI.”

OG Brandon Mosley left practice early due to an upset stomach. LT Charles Brown, TE Xavier Grimble, and LB Spencer Adkins left the field with heat-related issues.

OG John Jerry was limited in practice. “He was hurt all spring and was sick all summer,” said Coughlin. “He’s out, he’s lost some weight and he’s trying to get back in it, so it will take a while.”

July 22, 2014 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The video from Tuesday’s press conference with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available at Giants.com.

July 22, 2014 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video clips of Tuesday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

LB Jon Beason Placed on PUP List: As expected, New York Giants linebacker Jon Beason was officially placed on the preseason Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List. Beason suffered a ligament tear and small fracture to the sesamoid bone in his right foot during an OTA practice on June 12. The injury did not require surgery.

The good news is that RB David Wilson (neck), WR Mario Manningham (knee), LT Will Beatty (knee), and OG John Jerry (knee) were not placed on the PUP. Wilson, as BBI reported earlier, has been cleared by doctors to resume football contact. Wilson underwent surgery on January 16 to fuse vertebrae to repair a herniated disc in his neck. He participated in non-contact drills this spring, but was not allowed to practice when contact was possible.

“I’m back to normal,” Wilson said. “I can play regular football with no special equipment, no medication, or anything else.”

Coughlin indicated that Manningham, Beatty, and Jerry will be limited in training camp practices.

Giants Sign OG John Sullen: The New York Giants have signed street free agent offensive guard John Sullen. BBI scouting report on John Sullen:

Sullen was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2013 NFL Draft. He was waived by the Bengals in August and did not play last season. Sullen has very good size and strength, but lacks ideal overall athleticism.

WR Kris Adams Waived: The Giants waived WR Kris Adams after he failed his physical. Adams was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2013 with a broken left ankle he suffered in a preseason game.

July 21, 2014 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Video clips of Monday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

But as he climbed to the top of a podium overlooking the practice fields he’d spent countless hours on, something changed. The smile left his face as realization set in. This made it official.

Snee began to speak, got a few words out, then the Giants’ iron man broke down.

“It’s a bitter-sweet day,” Snee said between tears, “But one that I really had no choice in. It’s no secret, I’m going to retire.”

He brought his hand to the crest of his nose and rubbed his eyes, took a deep breath and attempted to speak again. A few more words, then the giant hand came right back as his eyes welled with tears. He hung his head.

For the first time since he was drafted in 2004, Snee couldn’t do it anymore. His body had failed him. No time in the trainer’s room and no amount of ice could fix the physical tolls of a decade in a league where the average career lasts just over three years. It finally caught up to him. At 32 years old, Snee needed to hang up the cleats. The decision to walk away was one Snee knew was coming. After struggling to play baseball with his son, it was time. But that didn’t make this press conference any easier.

With every word Snee attempted to utter out, memories came flooding in. There were the locker room pranks he played on teammates with former Giants’ Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie. There were the two Super Bowl championships and four Pro Bowls, too.

Then there was also the memory of his last game as a Giant, a 38-0 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. Snee was removed from the game before its culmination and placed on injured reserve days later.

In the offseason, the former All-Pro guard had hip and elbow surgery and began rehab. Snee didn’t want that “Carolina game” to be the final time he stepped foot on the field as a member of the Giants.

“I sat down with (Giants general manager) Jerry Reese and told him my intentions,” Snee said. “I asked him if he thought I could still play and he said yes. He gave me the opportunity to work this spring and see if my body would hold up. It was doing great.”

Snee began the spring as a full participant in the Giants’ offseason conditioning program, but as the regular season neared ever close, so did the thought that his fairy tale ending would never come to fruition.

Snee’s elbow flared up, prohibiting him from working out. The one who once held the title as the strongest on the Giants saw that strength slipping away. What once made him arguably the NFL’s best guard was no long a talent in his repertoire.

Practice came and went as Snee remained stationed on the sideline. His signature No. 76 jersey was still seen on the field, but not in the huddle. The guard kept his helmet by his side as he watched practice as a spectator.

“In May it was great. I was feeling good,” Snee said. “Then it went south in a hurry. I was going to be honest like I said I would. I wouldn’t be able to play the game I would expect and wouldn’t have been proud of the product I put on the field.

“I let Jerry Reese know, probably at the end of June, what I was leaning towards doing and made it official a couple days ago.”

On Saturday, Snee took a trip to the Giants’ facilities with his family in tow. The group made their way to coach and father-in-law Tom Coughlin’s office where his son, Cooper, ran in to see his grandfather.

“I got this little tap on my back,”Coughlin said. “We visited for a couple minutes and then Chris asked if he could speak to me… and I knew.”

Coughlin then called Reese, along with owners John Mara and Steve Tisch. Snee, meanwhile, made a call of his own.

In 2004, Snee was the Giants’ second-round pick. Their first was quarterback Eli Manning. Throughout both of their rookie years, Manning and Snee were roommates, buss-mates and plane-mates. Their relationship grew over the years and the last thing Snee wanted was for Manning to find out when he arrived at the team’s practice facility on Monday.

So, on Sunday, Snee phoned his old friend.

“We’ve been through a lot together,” Snee said. “We have a special relationship. We’ve been through a lot, two championships and just becoming great friends by the end of this. I thought he had the right to know before everyone else did.”

When Snee was placed on the injured reserve last year and struggled this spring, Manning continued to tell himself it was just a bump in the road for Snee. At the end of the day, when Manning lined up under center it would be his friend just to his right when it counted. Whenever the thought of life without Snee came into his mind, Manning quickly pushed it back out. He didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to imagine it. But when his phone rang, there was something inside that told Manning this was it.

“I had a feeling that that might be what was coming,” Manning said. “You never really thought it would happen. I didn’t want to think about it happening because he’s been such a tremendous teammate and a great friend of mine.”

As Snee walks away, so too does the final piece of one of the greatest offensive lines assembled throughout the Giants’ history. For nearly five years, O’Hara, Diehl, Seubert and McKenzie paved the way for running backs while keeping defenders off Manning.

O’Hara and Seubert retired in 2010. McKenzie hung up the cleats in 2011 and David Diehl after last year.

“I heard from all of them,” Snee said. “That was a special group we had. One we should’ve cherished more when we were together. Those are my brothers. I thought that I would be able to hang on a little bit longer and they’re still living through me.

“Richie called me four times since midnight. He’s in California, so he’s not sleeping much. Shaun, the same, and Dave. We’ve always had each other’s back and that’s not going to change.”

In 2008, the group paved the way for two 1,000 yard running backs in the same season for the first time in Giants’ history. Brandon Jacobs rushed for 1,059 and Derrick Ward 1,025.

“We had fun,” Snee said. “It was just a fun group to be around, but also when we hit the field, it was work.”

While Snee admitted he’ll be taking some time off and enjoying an August where he doesn’t have to “strap on a helmet,” eventually he hopes to return to football as a coach. Maybe, on one of his son’s teams.

But whether it’s back to the gridiron or another adventure, Snee will be spending more time with his family. His wife, Kate, and sons, Dylan and Cooper, were on hand for Snee’s final press conference.

When Snee stepped off the podium, Cooper ran up to his dad and gave him a hug.

“How old are you now, Dad,” Cooper asked his father.

“Same age as yesterday, Buddy,” Snee said, laughing, before pulling him close again.

Chris Snee Interviews: Transcripts, audio, and video of New York Giants offensive guard Chris Snee discussing his retirement from the NFL are available from the following sources:

Follow @BigBlueInteract
After 10 prolific season in the National Football League, Chris Snee will walk away. The 32-year-old announced Monday that he will retire from the NFL. Snee spent every year of his career with the New York Giants.

The news of his retirement was first reported by ESPN’s Dan Graziano late Sunday afternoon.

I am now being told that Giants G Chris Snee has indeed decided to retire and plans to announce it Monday.

After meeting with the Giants this morning, the guard determined his body could no longer endure the physical trials of the NFL. Snee was rehabbing from offseason hip and elbow surgeries that cost him much of the 2013 season.

Snee announced the decision today as the Giants gathered to begin training camp in preparation for the 2014 season.

“I know it’s my time,” Snee said. “Before OTAs started I was confident. I was moving around great and I was strong enough where I felt that I could play and compete. But then once OTAs came around, I had to punch and stop somebody … obviously, we’re not wearing pads. I wasn’t able to do it. Quite frankly, it hurt. But I thought maybe it was my joint getting used to that again. But the more I tried to do it, it became a concern to me that it wasn’t responding the way it should and actually my (elbow) strength had started to go down in the weight room.

“After those three days of OTAs, my hips were hurting. I was concerned. The elbow is an old joint and the cartilage is gone and the bone is starting to weaken. That being said, I came and I spoke to (general manager) Jerry Reese after OTAs and kind of told him what was coming. He said, ‘Take your time and still continue to work out.’ So I did that and my strength is still going down. That was an indication that I wasn’t strong enough to play. And that’s kind of what my game’s been based upon. I take tremendous pride in the effort that I put in the weight room and being the strongest player on the field. I’m nowhere near that, so I knew that even if I came here today, I wouldn’t be able to practice. You’re trying to catch up and I’ve been trying to get my strength back, but I think it’s time to just let the arm cool down.

“I’m thankful to the Giants for giving me this opportunity to try to come back, but I also told them, I told Jerry Reese face-to-face, that I would give him an honest evaluation and I’m a man of my word. I would not be able to help the team the way that I expect of myself or the way that they would expect of me.

“I am proud of where I am today,” said Snee. “To come from a small town in Pennsylvania (Montrose) where nobody thought (I would be an NFL player). When I said I wanted to play pro football at a young age, I was serious. And then when I played high school ball, I said, ‘I want to be the first guy from my high school to go to a Division 1 college,’ and I was able to do that. Along every step there were doubters, I’m sure that’s the case with everyone, I’m not trying to make my situation unique. I’ve always been a guy, I like to prove people wrong. I just always have been a guy who has had high goals for myself and really never satisfied until I get them. I’m extremely proud, but also extremely sad.”

“It’s going to be weird,” Snee said of no longer playing. “I bought season tickets a couple years ago. I don’t think I’ll be ready to sit in those seats just yet – but yeah, I’ll be here. I still have some older friends remaining on the team and some of the young guys I’ve gotten to know. I’ll be rooting for them.”

For the better part of nine years, the former second-round pick was one of the top guards throughout the league. Snee’s agility gave him a unique ability to pull and helped create daylight for the likes of Tiki Barber, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. In 2008, Snee was part of an offensive line that paved the way for two 1,000-yard rushing backs as Jacobs rushed for 1,089 yards and Derrick Ward 1,025.

In @PFF's first 2 seasons of charting, 20007 & 2008, Chris Snee had the highest grade of any RG. #Giants

Snee will be remembered as one of the top offensive lineman to ever wear a Giants’ uniform. The 32-year-old was selected to the Pro Bowl four times (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and earned All-Pro honors three times (2008, 2009, 2010.) Snee was also a member of the Giants’ Super Bowl championships in 2007 and 2011.

“I think Chris was everything you could ever hope for in a player: toughness, integrity, and a lot of pride,” said New York Giants President and CEO John Mara. “Winning mattered to him. I think he set a great example for all of the other players. He’s somebody we’re going to miss very much. He was one of the greatest offensive linemen in Giants history, and he’ll be on that Ring of Honor someday.”

“Chris has been a great Giant, on and off the field,” said Giants Chairman and Executive Vice President Steve Tisch. “And that is the highest compliment we can pay somebody around here.”

“Chris is a pro’s pro,” said General Manager Jerry Reese. “He played the game right. He was as tough and prideful as they come. We will miss him.”

“To me, he was the best guard in all of football,” Coughlin said. “No doubt. No matter who you put him against, all of the great defensive tackles in the game, the 350 (pound) guys, the 340 guys, he blocked them. When he first came here, he was so, so committed and so driven to excel at the professional level as he had excelled at the collegiate level (at Boston College)…(This retirement is) different because not only is it a great football player retiring from the game, who has contributed so much to our team and our franchise and has two world championships to show for it, he is a highly-respected and loved member of (the Coughlin) family.”

“He called me yesterday and told me the news,” QB Eli Manning said. “I kind of knew there was a possibility with everything going on with his health. I’m obviously disappointed just because we’ve had a long run together. We came in the same year, were roommates for home games and away games that first year. We’ve won a lot of games and been through a lot together and been great pals, so I told him I’d miss him. He was the last one from our original class that came in together, but he’s got to do what’s best for him. I think he made a decision kind of based on how he’s feeling and also based on what’s best for the Giants. He’s a true team player and just didn’t think he was going to be able to help and wanted to put us in a situation where we kind of knew that early on. We’re going to definitely miss his leadership and his presence around the locker room, around the team, but we’ll still be great friends.”

With Snee now gone, the competition for who will line up at right guard opening day is now wide open. Brandon Mosley, John Jerry and Giants’ second-round pick Weston Richburg will all see time at the now vacant position.

When Snee missed time during the Giants’ offseason conditioning program, it was Mosley who filled in with the first team. Jerry sat out both the organized team activities and mandatory mini-camp while rehabbing a knee injury.

Mosley was drafted by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft while Jerry was signed as a free agent this year from Miami.

No matter who comes out on top for the Giants’ this offseason, it’ll be the team’s most youthful offensive line in quite some time. No projected started is over 30 years old. William Beatty is the oldest at 29.

Chris Snee May Retire on Monday: A rumor posted on BigBlueInteractive.com that right guard Chris Snee may retire on Monday seems to have some validity as press reports now say Snee with meet with New York Giants team officials on Monday to discuss that very possibility. Players are required to report to training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Monday as the first training camp practice begins on Tuesday.

Saw @BigBlueInteract rumor Giants G Chris Snee to retire. Not yet. He meets w/ team brass tomorrow to discuss whether his body can make it.

Snee has been plagued with hip and elbow issues the last few years, and continued problems with the elbow caused him to sit out a number of Organized Team Activity (OTA) and mini-camp practices. Snee was placed on Injured Reserve in October 2013 with a torn labrum in his right hip that required surgery. He also underwent elbow surgery in November. After the 2011 season, Snee underwent surgery on his elbow and left hip.

Snee was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Giants and is one of the few remaining active Giants with two Super Bowl rings. If he does retire, possible replacements at right guard include John Jerry, Brandon Mosley, and Weston Richburg. Jerry was signed in the offseason from the Miami Dolphins but missed all of the offseason work while he was recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Mosley was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Giants and Richburg in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Jon Beason Injury Update: New York Giants linebacker told Newsday on Sunday that he is recovering well from the right foot injury he suffered during the team’s ninth OTA practice on June 12. Beason suffered a ligament tear and small fracture to the sesamoid bone in his right foot. The injury did not require surgery.

Beason told Newsday that he will not run during Monday’s team conditioning test, but he told the paper that his toe and foot feel great and he could run if he had to. “We’re hitting all those benchmarks in terms of the prognosis,” said Beason. “It’s getting better and better every day.”

Jon Beason won't run in tomorrow's team conditioning test, but he told me if he had to he could. Toe and foot feels great.

Beason was asked if playing the season opener was a possibility. “Absolutely,” replied Beason. “That’s the goal…I’ve had seasons where I didn’t have any training camp and I went out there and got busy right away.”

“I feel fine right now,” said Beason. “But then again I know that I’m not ready to go full speed and change direction and tackle people.”

Historical Photo Album

Part of the USA Today Sports Media Group
BigBlueInteractiveSM provides news, analysis, and discussion on the New York Football Giants. The site is owned and operated by Big Blue Interactive, LLC. If you
have any questions or comments about this website, please see our contact information page.